Al-Qaida and ISIS Are Using AI in Totally Different Ways — New Report Drops the Details
A new report reveals that Al-Qaida and ISIS are both using artificial intelligence, but with completely different strategies — one focuses on quality, the other on quantity.
Artificial intelligence is not creating a new kind of terrorism, but it is making old tactics cheaper, faster, and easier to execute, according to a July 2026 report from the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) [206426]. The report argues that AI tools help terrorist groups improve their propaganda and recruitment, but the way groups like Al-Qaida and the Islamic State (ISIS) use AI is not the same [206426]. Al-Qaida focuses on high-quality, targeted messaging to inspire lone-wolf attacks, while ISIS uses AI to mass-produce propaganda and automate its online recruitment [206426]. Experts say understanding these differences is critical for security agencies working to counter the groups [206426].
Meanwhile, the threat of copycat attacks remains high. After a deadly car ramming at a Berlin Pride celebration, terror expert Hans Brun warned that such attacks trigger thought processes for other individuals with the same ideas, and that preventing copycat attacks is nearly impossible [205021]. Cars are increasingly used as weapons because of their accessibility, lethality, and the difficulty of stopping a moving vehicle, though no single solution guarantees safety [205401].